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NWCC Students Beat the Competition and Reap Awards

Three NWCC University Credit students will be heading south this fall after being accepted into UBC's highly competitive Bachelor of Science in Pharmacy (B.Sc.(Pharm.)) program. Ashley Baxter, Jocelyne Beaudry, and Amanjeet Taggar competed against 600 other applicants to take three of the 150 seats available in the program. The program has very high admission standards requiring a high GPA, strong reference letters and writing and passing the PCAT (Pharmacy College Admission Test). The top 250 applicants are then selected for a personal interview which is used to determine who will make the final cut. "Pharmacy has been my goal since grade 9," states Beaudry. "I chose to attend NWCC to take advantage of their low tuition fees and save money by living at home. The teachers were amazing in the amount of time they spent ensuring we were receiving a good education. They helped on their own time to give us a better shot at getting into pharmacy. I have already recommended to several students to stay in the science program at NWCC for two years. It gives you a huge advantage." All three students were accepted into the program this summer after obtaining an Associate of Science Degree from NWCC this past spring. Associate of Science degrees are comprised of 1st and 2nd year transferable University Credit courses and are key pathways into Biological, Health and Medical Bachelor degrees. All NWCC Associate Degrees are transferable to universities and university colleges throughout the province. "An Associate degree in Arts or Sciences at NWCC really gives you a solid feel of the increase in workload from high school to a post-secondary institution without the extra burden of relocating your life drastically into an overwhelming environment," states Taggar. "Many things that are not done in larger institutions were accomplished at the College (field studies and projects, dissections, etc.) for better learning." After completing their degrees, both Beaudry and Taggar plan on returning to the northwest. As well as being admitted into UBC, Beaudry and Taggar were also successful applicants for the Irving K. Barber Scholarship that will provide each of them with $5,000 to put toward their university expenses. The Scholarship is open to students who are transferring to a university or university college after completing two years of study at a BC community college, university college or institute. One of the eligibility criteria is a GPA of 3.5 or more. "These three students are great examples of what achievements our students can obtain," states Katherine McIndoe, Dean of Instruction at NWCC. "They are able to compete against the rest of the province and in many cases are better prepared personally and academically. We know Ashley, Amanjeet, and Jocelyne will be successful in their studies and look forward to welcoming them back to the northwest." Information on Associate Degrees and the University Credit program can be found on the College's web site at www.nwcc.bc.ca Information on the Irving K. Barber Scholarship can be found at http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/studentservices/student/sp/awards/ike_barber.htm